When on a cruise, I always take the stairs. Besides crowded elevators, a good way to work off some of the food excess. Even the big ships where it's 14 stories to the top!
First a word about the person with the nasal cannula: she has chronic lung disease. She needs to wear it, or would not. She can’t take the stairs. Now, the cruise report (which I am enjoying!): We have been on over a dozen cruises starting when our children were young, up until one month before the world shut down. When the kids were little we found cruising to be the easiest with our middle daughter who has cerebral palsy. It was the great equalizer and she just had great times. Cruise ships are floating hotels, and not five star hotels. The food ranges from OK to good and occasionally very good. They are cooking for thousands and every bit of sustenance is loaded on embarkation (get on board early and you’ll see the forklifts). If you get something that is just not good or not to your liking, by all means send it back. The throwing of dishes is an urban myth (they’d soon run out of plates). On several of our cruises we took galley tours and were told repeatedly a returned dish is a learning opportunity and real time adjustments were made on the line as a result. On the other hand, if you get a great dish, tell the waiter and he will pass that on (and maybe order another one!). The mass market ships all have revenue opportunities: art auctions, photos (which likely will land in your sock drawer), overpriced jewelry with tremendous sales toward the end of the cruise (from grossly overpriced to simply overpriced) and casinos. Shows tend to be large venue and glossy Vegas type reviews. The spas are all expensive but we always schedule something. Compared to the cost of the trip it’s a rounding error and a good break especially on sea days or at a port you have no interest in. As we’ve aged we decided to book our next cruise with Viking Ocean Cruises to avoid what we don’t enjoy so much: Smaller ship, better food (we are told), no kids, no casino, no art auction, no photos, small caliber shows. (Given Taucks distinctly upmarket appeal I’m surprised they partner with Princess, although I see a bathtuin the suite and that is pretty rare except on luxury lines or top tier cabins). And Viking ships all have a lab on board. Everyone gets a daily COVID PCR test. Positive crew and passengers are quarantined.
so sorry about Hubbard Glacier. You may already be following separate thread on earlier Grand Alaska. Here is Michael_Szrom's photo (thanks, M). And yes, on Tauck Patagonia those who had been to Alaska did say it reminded them of Alaska.
Enjoying the review and the pictures. Comments: the woman with the oxygen vis nasal cannula likely has chronic lung disease. She can’t take the stairs. If you cruise a lot you will encounter this and a myriad of disabilities as cruising is easy for these folks. Don’t be surprised at a bevy of people with chronic renal failure and a dedicated on board dialysis suite. Cruise ships are hotels you take with you. I was intrigued by the picture of the bathtub in your suite. These are usually only part of a suite on the higher end cruise lines so consider yourself lucky! We’ve been on over a dozen cruises from the time our children were young up until the world shut down in 2020. Our middle daughter has cerebral palsy. Cruising was the great equalizer. She just went to the kids activities like everyone else and was just another kid. The food on cruise ships is hotel food and not five star. When you take a galley tour (and you should) you’ll come away with a new respect of the crews ability to feed so many so efficiently. If you get something that you don’t like or it’s not right, by all means turn it back. That throwing of plates is an urban myth. The reality is they use returned courses as a learning moment and will make real time adjustments to the line to avoid that happening again. And if you are served something you really enjoy let your server know and order another! This will get back to the chefs. Cruise lines have multiple revenue streams: the art auctions, trinket shops, way overpriced fine jewelry (which magically gets reduced 20-50% on the last day), photos (which will wind up in your sock drawer), casinos with very bad odds. As we’ve aged we have sought a cruise line with none of these and have found it with Viking Ocean Cruises. Smaller ships, no kids, no casino, no art auctions, no photos. The shows are small scale. The food is better. And each ship has a lab on board. Everyone, crew and passengers, get PCR tested every day. Wish Tauck would partner with them.
Viking Ocean has gone the way of most cruise lines …. No daily testing of passengers at all. Not even required to be tested to get on the ship in some points of departure. But I love their ships, as well as Silversea. There are zero sales pitches, no art auctions….the ships are smaller and the food is good.
Thanks for the info. I doubt there are galley tours due to Covid. There isn’t even an in person Captain’s toast any more. I doubt we will be rushing to do any more cruises until we get old and need nursing care. We want to explore, not to be stuck on a ship….and tomorrow is such a day, we will be off the ship for 12 hours, yippee.
Alaska , day whatever…
The day started miserable and very foggy, but gradually improved and we got to Glacier Bay a good hour later than scheduled. We were rewarded with spectacular views of all the glaciers. We saw 4 brown bears, seals and quite a few sea otters. My hubby also spotted bald eagles, confirmed by our TD who also saw them.
Tip, you get just as wonderful views from your room balcony as you do on the upper outside decks without the jostling for places, the noise and the cold. Such a more pleasant and peaceful experience from your room. We spent equal time looking in both places.
British
July 18
Tip, you get just as wonderful views from your room balcony as you do on the upper outside decks without the
jostling for places, the noise and the cold.
Only if your room is on the side of the ship with the view!
Cathy - Seems hard to imagine that you could see for the entire hour from a single room. That said it was nice of the ship’s Captain and crew to think of that and to try to balance out the viewing opportunities.
Similar on my heli copter ride over Kilauea. The pilot circled and banked in both directions. It's about sightseeing and not getting from point A to B in the shortest time
I would not be hesitant about sending something back that did not appeal to you in the dining room. They will bring you everything on the menu if you ask for it. I routinely ask for multiple appetizers. They don’t take offense if something is sent back. They want you to be happy … sometimes it brings in extra tips. Whether pre-paid or not, the key individuals who provide us with extra service get additional tips. I normally can identify those people early in the cruise, and I tip them early. They are very likely to remember you.
Also, curious about why you call the Captain Cook hotel the Mount Cook. I’ve stayed there many times when flying MAC cargo from ANC to Yokota and Osan. Didn’t you like the pool in the basement? Of course, things may have changed.
ALASKA DAY 9.
I think it’s day 9!
We got off the ship at 7am today and onto a couple of vintage buses, circa 1927 for a quick guided tour of the town of Skagway which was full of historic commercial buildings and homes. We went back to the boat dock area and boarded a quick ferry to Haines, about a 45 minute ride.
We were met by Tom Lang, a local guide and author who has been working with Tauck for around thirty years. He recons he has guided about 35,000 Tauck guests in that time. He was great. We got onto a bus and drove for about a half hour to the start point of our river raft floating trip where we all put on big rubber boots. We had to walk over dry stones across the river bed to reach the rafts. We were given instructions on safety before practicing getting in and out of the boat. We had our life jackets on, no helmets, this was not a white water experience.
There were four rafts, we were divided up and introduced to our guides. Into the boats and maneuvering into the main river channel. We had to duck down as we got very near to the edge and overhanging trees at this point. Mt B and I were at the front and were instructed to lay almost flat face down into the boat as the trees were so low, yes we got wet muddy knees. It was fun!
The float was about 90 minutes long. The river flowed very fast but was shallow. In some places, so shallow that we had to bounce up and down to help get off the stones and sometimes the guide had to get out and push us off the too shallows areas. We saw many many magnificent Bald Eagles! We got to the offloading point. Our shoes were lined up ready to put back on and we all tucked into hot chocolates, tea coffee or cider and sandwiches, chips and cookies.
Back on the bus and to the ferry…..oh dear, no ferry! We found out the ferry had broken down. A small replacement ferry was being sent from Skagway, so while waited, we were taken to the local brewery and our TD treated us all to a beer. Mr. B and I had a Spruce Tip beer and it was good!
And now this is where the motto from Tauck, already happening ‘Expecting the Unexpected’ was unfolding… the ferry arrived, it had a catamaran hull and sped through the waves to Skagway where we were supposed to have a scenic three hour train ride in a private rail car….too late, the train had departed without our group and others on our ferry. 😒
We could walk into town or get back on the ship. I think most people headed back to the ship, we were tired from an early start and all that bumping up and down in the boat 😀
Mr B and I didn’t even book a place for dinner, too much food as usual on a Tauck tour. So later, we had cocktails and a small plate of sushi at the sushi bar and then headed for the international cafe, a twenty four hour counter which has delicious small portions of food all the time. We are now eating breakfast and lunch there. We made the 7-30 pm show, the guest soprano sang a medley of opera, Broadway musical songs and pop. She has an excellent voice. Another early night.
ALASKA DAY 10
We are In Juneau. We departed the ship at 7-30am in the pouring rain. All suitably dressed for the occasion, glad of masks to keep us warm. We drove through Juneau and from the bus it looked like a modern tour stop for cruise ships. full of international name jewelry stores and seafood restaurants and a famous bar, I can’t even recall the name. We were on our way to view the Mendenhall Glacier, stopping right by the Visitor center. Good views of the glacier but misty over the top became of the dreary weather. There is a good film in the Visitor center, I believe 7 minutes long, showing how far the glacier has retreated, worth watching. There is a winding walkway or an elevator to the visitors center. A nice little gift shop….I’ve never bought as many books as I have on this tour….even bought a book on cooking with rhubarb which we are very fond of being British ex pats.
We traveled on to meet our Whale watching boat. The entire boat was contracted by Tauck, so there was plenty of room to spread out, especially with our diminishing number of Covid free group. We saw a small pod of orcas, plenty of stellar seals and about four humpback whales. I didn’t try to take many photos because from past experience you tend to miss so much trying to get that perfect shot of the whale’s tail/fluke when one shows. There was one just gorgeous dive showing such a display and two whales, mom and calf showing their’s in unison. It poured with twin all the time but it did not stop our enthusiasm and the naturalist on board was good.
We returned to Juneau passing an area where there were what seemed like hundreds of bald eagles. There was an opportunity to be dropped off at two places in Juneau. It was still raining and packed with tourists. There were four cruise ships in port. I can’t imagine what it must be like if all those ships were at full capacities but were more likely not full like our ship. Sometimes there are as many as six ships. Needless to say, we did not want to be dropped off. About two thirds of the people stopped off at Juneau. We headed back to he ship. Went to our cabin and left all our wet gear and headed straight to lunch where the first people we saw was a couple who had stayed in Juneau. They had found a famous restaurant where their was such a long line to get in, they decided to head back to the ship.
Another person has Covid, I think that is up to 14, no, someone else too,
15.
A bit more info on what happens when you test positive for Covid on the ship. The negative partner stays in the room and the infected partner is moved to the Covid area on the ship, you have no choice to stay together. We learned this because the negative partner is tested several times and then is able to rejoin us, so we got the info first hand. The TD and crew are very kind and helpful to both the negative and positive partner. Paxlovid is available but the dr on board is not keen to prescribe it, so you must insist and pay $700 for it.
As a group, we ate in the Upcharge Italian restaurant which Tauck pays for. As usual, the service was excellent, but once again we were both disappointed with our entre but our appetizers and of course the desserts were good. Another early night and the clocks go forward one hour as we head for Victoria. The internet access is getting worse. Tauck forums has kicked me out and I can’t get to sign in because it’s hard to get internet access for any website, so don’t know when I will be able to post this.
“The Red Dog Saloon”. I’m drinking coffee out of one of their mugs. You seem to be getting lots of rain. We have done Alaska four times, and I’ve only seen a couple days with rain.
We have never been on a large cruise ship. So for those in the same boat 😂here is what we have learned so far.
The service is excellently on the ship.
We love our room, we have a good sized sitting area with sofa and coffee table and large desk. Two large flat screen TVs, small balcony, small bathroom but well thought out, good counter space. Full sized bath with variable height shower and retractable clothes line. There is no separate shampoo and conditioner, just the combined type, no good for my hair. There are no outlets in the bathroom, the hairdryer is in a drawer in the desk, you can’t move it, it is plugged in at the back of the desk drawer somewhere. Plenty of mirrors.
The fun thing is the lights that come on at floor level when you get out of bed in the night… except if you have a hubby like Mr B who routinely sticks his feet over the edge of the bed in the night and it’s like a sudden firework show waking you out of your slumber.
The air in the room is really dry, several others people have noticed that too, your nose and mouth get so parched in the night. We can’t get the room warm enough some days, we are generally not people who feel cold, have an extra layer. Walking around the inside of the ship can be cold too.
Internet goes on and off and slow. Most of the time we cannot access our email.
Good food choice. We have never eaten in the buffet, nothing to do with Covid, we just don’t want to go all the way to the 16th floor when we can get good choices at the International Cafe on the fifth floor and see what we are getting. If you want tea or coffee here though, you must pay for it. The restaurant entre choices we have made have been disappointing but other courses good.
The lectures we have attended are good. Most presentations last 45 minutes.
There is no indoor swimming pool 😒
We like the medallion we have to wear round our necks, your room door unlocks automatic as you approach and locks when you leave the room. I feel like I’m a gym teacher walking around as this lanyard looks like a whistle. Also, no need to wear a necklace or earrings, the lanyard and face mask take care of that.
Many or our group do not ‘dress up’ for formal dinner as Tauck book areas of the restaurants just for us for early dining. If you don’t want to go at that time, you can book elsewhere. Some of the Princess passengers really go overboard with sparkly outfits, but not many. Coming back from dinner last night, a couple at a bar beckons us over and said how lovely we looked in our attire 😇 we didn’t think we were that standout!
All the staff are always properly masked which we really appreciate and so are a our remaining tour members. Few passengers are masked up, even though it’s supposedly to be mandated especially elevators.
The $250 allowance Tauck gives you to go to purchasing anything on board is ample!
I had to go to Princess ‘deck plans’ to see your ship. We don’t cruise on big ships often now … just with the grandkids, but we have been on few that don’t have both indoor and outdoor pools. Many have a retractable roof. Our only Princess Cruise was on the “Grand Princess” and it had an indoor pool. Royal Princess seems to be a bit short in the pool category.
ALASKA DAY 12
Finally after being at sea for 44 hours, we arrived in VICTORIA, British Columbia this lunchtime and after a foggy night, it is SUNNY. We are now down to 23 from 39, yes, Covid continues to be in our group
A bus collected us from the dock and we were driven around Victoria with and excellent guide/driver and then on to gorgeous Butchart Gardens about a 45 mins ride out of the city. Despite some rainy days, at lease we have been so lucky that when it really really mattered, it did not rain on us. There was ample time to see all the gardens and enjoy a gelato near the Italian Gardens before returning to the ship for all aboard for 5-30pm and our last night on ship.
When we first got on the ship
Last week, there was a note from Princess to tell us we would be docking In Vancouver several hours later than planned and if our flights were before 1-40 pm we were unlikely to make them. This affected several of us and even the tour director who had a flight at noon to make the start of his next tour. Even he had not been made aware of the change. So it’s caused a lot of concern. Our TD told us we might make our flight because it is 1-25pm. We have to ‘walk off’ the ship carrying all our own luggage and get a taxi ( He has given us money for that) if we have any chance of making our flight. We have looked at other flights and there isn’t much out there.
Anyway, we are pretty sure this will probably be our first and last big cruise ship tour. Never say never. But probably never at this point in our lives.
Thank you for sharing your tour experience with us. Gives those of us who have booked this trip great insight into what we might experience on our own tours. Sure hoping the COVID spike drops off soon though. Wishing you safe travels ahead.
Many of my phone photos have not downloaded on my iPad. I’ll sort them in the next few weeks. Above…..fountains at Butchart, sorry no flower pics yet. One of our rafts on the float trip…note the river is shallow but very fast flowing water, it was fun! Sunset leaving Victoria and heading for Vancouver.
Comments
When on a cruise, I always take the stairs. Besides crowded elevators, a good way to work off some of the food excess. Even the big ships where it's 14 stories to the top!
First a word about the person with the nasal cannula: she has chronic lung disease. She needs to wear it, or would not. She can’t take the stairs. Now, the cruise report (which I am enjoying!): We have been on over a dozen cruises starting when our children were young, up until one month before the world shut down. When the kids were little we found cruising to be the easiest with our middle daughter who has cerebral palsy. It was the great equalizer and she just had great times. Cruise ships are floating hotels, and not five star hotels. The food ranges from OK to good and occasionally very good. They are cooking for thousands and every bit of sustenance is loaded on embarkation (get on board early and you’ll see the forklifts). If you get something that is just not good or not to your liking, by all means send it back. The throwing of dishes is an urban myth (they’d soon run out of plates). On several of our cruises we took galley tours and were told repeatedly a returned dish is a learning opportunity and real time adjustments were made on the line as a result. On the other hand, if you get a great dish, tell the waiter and he will pass that on (and maybe order another one!). The mass market ships all have revenue opportunities: art auctions, photos (which likely will land in your sock drawer), overpriced jewelry with tremendous sales toward the end of the cruise (from grossly overpriced to simply overpriced) and casinos. Shows tend to be large venue and glossy Vegas type reviews. The spas are all expensive but we always schedule something. Compared to the cost of the trip it’s a rounding error and a good break especially on sea days or at a port you have no interest in. As we’ve aged we decided to book our next cruise with Viking Ocean Cruises to avoid what we don’t enjoy so much: Smaller ship, better food (we are told), no kids, no casino, no art auction, no photos, small caliber shows. (Given Taucks distinctly upmarket appeal I’m surprised they partner with Princess, although I see a bathtuin the suite and that is pretty rare except on luxury lines or top tier cabins). And Viking ships all have a lab on board. Everyone gets a daily COVID PCR test. Positive crew and passengers are quarantined.
so sorry about Hubbard Glacier. You may already be following separate thread on earlier Grand Alaska. Here is Michael_Szrom's photo (thanks, M). And yes, on Tauck Patagonia those who had been to Alaska did say it reminded them of Alaska.
Enjoying the review and the pictures. Comments: the woman with the oxygen vis nasal cannula likely has chronic lung disease. She can’t take the stairs. If you cruise a lot you will encounter this and a myriad of disabilities as cruising is easy for these folks. Don’t be surprised at a bevy of people with chronic renal failure and a dedicated on board dialysis suite. Cruise ships are hotels you take with you. I was intrigued by the picture of the bathtub in your suite. These are usually only part of a suite on the higher end cruise lines so consider yourself lucky! We’ve been on over a dozen cruises from the time our children were young up until the world shut down in 2020. Our middle daughter has cerebral palsy. Cruising was the great equalizer. She just went to the kids activities like everyone else and was just another kid. The food on cruise ships is hotel food and not five star. When you take a galley tour (and you should) you’ll come away with a new respect of the crews ability to feed so many so efficiently. If you get something that you don’t like or it’s not right, by all means turn it back. That throwing of plates is an urban myth. The reality is they use returned courses as a learning moment and will make real time adjustments to the line to avoid that happening again. And if you are served something you really enjoy let your server know and order another! This will get back to the chefs. Cruise lines have multiple revenue streams: the art auctions, trinket shops, way overpriced fine jewelry (which magically gets reduced 20-50% on the last day), photos (which will wind up in your sock drawer), casinos with very bad odds. As we’ve aged we have sought a cruise line with none of these and have found it with Viking Ocean Cruises. Smaller ships, no kids, no casino, no art auctions, no photos. The shows are small scale. The food is better. And each ship has a lab on board. Everyone, crew and passengers, get PCR tested every day. Wish Tauck would partner with them.
Viking Ocean has gone the way of most cruise lines …. No daily testing of passengers at all. Not even required to be tested to get on the ship in some points of departure. But I love their ships, as well as Silversea. There are zero sales pitches, no art auctions….the ships are smaller and the food is good.
Thanks for the info. I doubt there are galley tours due to Covid. There isn’t even an in person Captain’s toast any more. I doubt we will be rushing to do any more cruises until we get old and need nursing care. We want to explore, not to be stuck on a ship….and tomorrow is such a day, we will be off the ship for 12 hours, yippee.
Alaska , day whatever…
The day started miserable and very foggy, but gradually improved and we got to Glacier Bay a good hour later than scheduled. We were rewarded with spectacular views of all the glaciers. We saw 4 brown bears, seals and quite a few sea otters. My hubby also spotted bald eagles, confirmed by our TD who also saw them.
Tip, you get just as wonderful views from your room balcony as you do on the upper outside decks without the jostling for places, the noise and the cold. Such a more pleasant and peaceful experience from your room. We spent equal time looking in both places.
British glad to see you are having a great time. sorry about the Glacier and hope the food gets better.
Only if your room is on the side of the ship with the view!
Cathy - Seems hard to imagine that you could see for the entire hour from a single room. That said it was nice of the ship’s Captain and crew to think of that and to try to balance out the viewing opportunities.
Similar on my heli copter ride over Kilauea. The pilot circled and banked in both directions. It's about sightseeing and not getting from point A to B in the shortest time
Yes, the ship stayed an hour and circled, we were in and out of deck and room balcony. More about today soon.
I would not be hesitant about sending something back that did not appeal to you in the dining room. They will bring you everything on the menu if you ask for it. I routinely ask for multiple appetizers. They don’t take offense if something is sent back. They want you to be happy … sometimes it brings in extra tips. Whether pre-paid or not, the key individuals who provide us with extra service get additional tips. I normally can identify those people early in the cruise, and I tip them early. They are very likely to remember you.
Also, curious about why you call the Captain Cook hotel the Mount Cook. I’ve stayed there many times when flying MAC cargo from ANC to Yokota and Osan. Didn’t you like the pool in the basement? Of course, things may have changed.
ALASKA DAY 9.
I think it’s day 9!
We got off the ship at 7am today and onto a couple of vintage buses, circa 1927 for a quick guided tour of the town of Skagway which was full of historic commercial buildings and homes. We went back to the boat dock area and boarded a quick ferry to Haines, about a 45 minute ride.
We were met by Tom Lang, a local guide and author who has been working with Tauck for around thirty years. He recons he has guided about 35,000 Tauck guests in that time. He was great. We got onto a bus and drove for about a half hour to the start point of our river raft floating trip where we all put on big rubber boots. We had to walk over dry stones across the river bed to reach the rafts. We were given instructions on safety before practicing getting in and out of the boat. We had our life jackets on, no helmets, this was not a white water experience.
There were four rafts, we were divided up and introduced to our guides. Into the boats and maneuvering into the main river channel. We had to duck down as we got very near to the edge and overhanging trees at this point. Mt B and I were at the front and were instructed to lay almost flat face down into the boat as the trees were so low, yes we got wet muddy knees. It was fun!
The float was about 90 minutes long. The river flowed very fast but was shallow. In some places, so shallow that we had to bounce up and down to help get off the stones and sometimes the guide had to get out and push us off the too shallows areas. We saw many many magnificent Bald Eagles! We got to the offloading point. Our shoes were lined up ready to put back on and we all tucked into hot chocolates, tea coffee or cider and sandwiches, chips and cookies.
Back on the bus and to the ferry…..oh dear, no ferry! We found out the ferry had broken down. A small replacement ferry was being sent from Skagway, so while waited, we were taken to the local brewery and our TD treated us all to a beer. Mr. B and I had a Spruce Tip beer and it was good!
And now this is where the motto from Tauck, already happening ‘Expecting the Unexpected’ was unfolding… the ferry arrived, it had a catamaran hull and sped through the waves to Skagway where we were supposed to have a scenic three hour train ride in a private rail car….too late, the train had departed without our group and others on our ferry. 😒
We could walk into town or get back on the ship. I think most people headed back to the ship, we were tired from an early start and all that bumping up and down in the boat 😀
Mr B and I didn’t even book a place for dinner, too much food as usual on a Tauck tour. So later, we had cocktails and a small plate of sushi at the sushi bar and then headed for the international cafe, a twenty four hour counter which has delicious small portions of food all the time. We are now eating breakfast and lunch there. We made the 7-30 pm show, the guest soprano sang a medley of opera, Broadway musical songs and pop. She has an excellent voice. Another early night.
SeaLord, yes Captain Cook, I’m thinking about something else obviously. They told us no swimming pool.
Interesting. Their website says the pool is open until 30 minutes before the athletic club closes. Perhaps it is a covid thing,
ALASKA DAY 10
We are In Juneau. We departed the ship at 7-30am in the pouring rain. All suitably dressed for the occasion, glad of masks to keep us warm. We drove through Juneau and from the bus it looked like a modern tour stop for cruise ships. full of international name jewelry stores and seafood restaurants and a famous bar, I can’t even recall the name. We were on our way to view the Mendenhall Glacier, stopping right by the Visitor center. Good views of the glacier but misty over the top became of the dreary weather. There is a good film in the Visitor center, I believe 7 minutes long, showing how far the glacier has retreated, worth watching. There is a winding walkway or an elevator to the visitors center. A nice little gift shop….I’ve never bought as many books as I have on this tour….even bought a book on cooking with rhubarb which we are very fond of being British ex pats.
We traveled on to meet our Whale watching boat. The entire boat was contracted by Tauck, so there was plenty of room to spread out, especially with our diminishing number of Covid free group. We saw a small pod of orcas, plenty of stellar seals and about four humpback whales. I didn’t try to take many photos because from past experience you tend to miss so much trying to get that perfect shot of the whale’s tail/fluke when one shows. There was one just gorgeous dive showing such a display and two whales, mom and calf showing their’s in unison. It poured with twin all the time but it did not stop our enthusiasm and the naturalist on board was good.
We returned to Juneau passing an area where there were what seemed like hundreds of bald eagles. There was an opportunity to be dropped off at two places in Juneau. It was still raining and packed with tourists. There were four cruise ships in port. I can’t imagine what it must be like if all those ships were at full capacities but were more likely not full like our ship. Sometimes there are as many as six ships. Needless to say, we did not want to be dropped off. About two thirds of the people stopped off at Juneau. We headed back to he ship. Went to our cabin and left all our wet gear and headed straight to lunch where the first people we saw was a couple who had stayed in Juneau. They had found a famous restaurant where their was such a long line to get in, they decided to head back to the ship.
Another person has Covid, I think that is up to 14, no, someone else too,
15.
A bit more info on what happens when you test positive for Covid on the ship. The negative partner stays in the room and the infected partner is moved to the Covid area on the ship, you have no choice to stay together. We learned this because the negative partner is tested several times and then is able to rejoin us, so we got the info first hand. The TD and crew are very kind and helpful to both the negative and positive partner. Paxlovid is available but the dr on board is not keen to prescribe it, so you must insist and pay $700 for it.
As a group, we ate in the Upcharge Italian restaurant which Tauck pays for. As usual, the service was excellent, but once again we were both disappointed with our entre but our appetizers and of course the desserts were good. Another early night and the clocks go forward one hour as we head for Victoria. The internet access is getting worse. Tauck forums has kicked me out and I can’t get to sign in because it’s hard to get internet access for any website, so don’t know when I will be able to post this.
“The Red Dog Saloon”. I’m drinking coffee out of one of their mugs. You seem to be getting lots of rain. We have done Alaska four times, and I’ve only seen a couple days with rain.
Yes, luck of the draw I guess. We have a day at sea.
We have never been on a large cruise ship. So for those in the same boat 😂here is what we have learned so far.
The service is excellently on the ship.
We love our room, we have a good sized sitting area with sofa and coffee table and large desk. Two large flat screen TVs, small balcony, small bathroom but well thought out, good counter space. Full sized bath with variable height shower and retractable clothes line. There is no separate shampoo and conditioner, just the combined type, no good for my hair. There are no outlets in the bathroom, the hairdryer is in a drawer in the desk, you can’t move it, it is plugged in at the back of the desk drawer somewhere. Plenty of mirrors.
The fun thing is the lights that come on at floor level when you get out of bed in the night… except if you have a hubby like Mr B who routinely sticks his feet over the edge of the bed in the night and it’s like a sudden firework show waking you out of your slumber.
The air in the room is really dry, several others people have noticed that too, your nose and mouth get so parched in the night. We can’t get the room warm enough some days, we are generally not people who feel cold, have an extra layer. Walking around the inside of the ship can be cold too.
Internet goes on and off and slow. Most of the time we cannot access our email.
Good food choice. We have never eaten in the buffet, nothing to do with Covid, we just don’t want to go all the way to the 16th floor when we can get good choices at the International Cafe on the fifth floor and see what we are getting. If you want tea or coffee here though, you must pay for it. The restaurant entre choices we have made have been disappointing but other courses good.
The lectures we have attended are good. Most presentations last 45 minutes.
There is no indoor swimming pool 😒
We like the medallion we have to wear round our necks, your room door unlocks automatic as you approach and locks when you leave the room. I feel like I’m a gym teacher walking around as this lanyard looks like a whistle. Also, no need to wear a necklace or earrings, the lanyard and face mask take care of that.
Many or our group do not ‘dress up’ for formal dinner as Tauck book areas of the restaurants just for us for early dining. If you don’t want to go at that time, you can book elsewhere. Some of the Princess passengers really go overboard with sparkly outfits, but not many. Coming back from dinner last night, a couple at a bar beckons us over and said how lovely we looked in our attire 😇 we didn’t think we were that standout!
All the staff are always properly masked which we really appreciate and so are a our remaining tour members. Few passengers are masked up, even though it’s supposedly to be mandated especially elevators.
The $250 allowance Tauck gives you to go to purchasing anything on board is ample!
It sounds like a wonderful trip British, the whale watching and bald eagles - amazing.
I had to go to Princess ‘deck plans’ to see your ship. We don’t cruise on big ships often now … just with the grandkids, but we have been on few that don’t have both indoor and outdoor pools. Many have a retractable roof. Our only Princess Cruise was on the “Grand Princess” and it had an indoor pool. Royal Princess seems to be a bit short in the pool category.
ALASKA DAY 12
Finally after being at sea for 44 hours, we arrived in VICTORIA, British Columbia this lunchtime and after a foggy night, it is SUNNY. We are now down to 23 from 39, yes, Covid continues to be in our group
A bus collected us from the dock and we were driven around Victoria with and excellent guide/driver and then on to gorgeous Butchart Gardens about a 45 mins ride out of the city. Despite some rainy days, at lease we have been so lucky that when it really really mattered, it did not rain on us. There was ample time to see all the gardens and enjoy a gelato near the Italian Gardens before returning to the ship for all aboard for 5-30pm and our last night on ship.
When we first got on the ship
Last week, there was a note from Princess to tell us we would be docking In Vancouver several hours later than planned and if our flights were before 1-40 pm we were unlikely to make them. This affected several of us and even the tour director who had a flight at noon to make the start of his next tour. Even he had not been made aware of the change. So it’s caused a lot of concern. Our TD told us we might make our flight because it is 1-25pm. We have to ‘walk off’ the ship carrying all our own luggage and get a taxi ( He has given us money for that) if we have any chance of making our flight. We have looked at other flights and there isn’t much out there.
Anyway, we are pretty sure this will probably be our first and last big cruise ship tour. Never say never. But probably never at this point in our lives.
Butchart Gardens...what a delightful way to end a trip! Too bad there was not enough time for tea at the Empress Hotel.
Safe travels home.
Thank you for sharing your tour experience with us. Gives those of us who have booked this trip great insight into what we might experience on our own tours. Sure hoping the COVID spike drops off soon though. Wishing you safe travels ahead.
Many of my phone photos have not downloaded on my iPad. I’ll sort them in the next few weeks. Above…..fountains at Butchart, sorry no flower pics yet. One of our rafts on the float trip…note the river is shallow but very fast flowing water, it was fun! Sunset leaving Victoria and heading for Vancouver.
Steel halving dishes with Otto crutch and vote orion station?
Yes, I should definitely never try to get a job in book editing 🤪
We have just eaten our first meal at the buffet. Leaving the ship soon.